Cut cable disrupts television and internet service

A cut fiber optic cable in Charlottesville caused a widespread television and internet outage Monday.

Construction crews severed an underground Comcast cable while performing work near the intersection of Rio Road and Stonehenge Road, according to Comcast spokesperson Alisha Martin.

She said the incident caused a loss of television service to customers in Louisa, Orange and Fluvanna counties. The number of affected customers was not available. Comcast internet users were not affected, Martin added.

“Technicians were immediately alerted to the issue through our internal monitoring systems and were promptly on scene to begin assessing the situation and working to repair the damage,” Martin said.

While Comcast internet users did not experience a loss of service from the incident, all of CVA Link’s customers did.

Brian Gilbreth, owner of Louisa-based business, said the company’s fiber backbone, which terminates in Ashburn, shares the same Comcast cable that was cut.

Comcast technicians repaired the cut fiber trunk later that afternoon and Comcast television and CVA Link services were restored around 2:40 p.m.